Caster



April 8, 1930. v w. F. HEROLD v v1,753,431

GASTER Fled Feb. 14. 1929 @ALTER FHERDLD.

ATTORNEY:

Patented Apr. 8, 17930 t UNITED [STATES PATENT OFFICE WALTER E. IIEROLD, or UPI'ER MONTCLAIE, NEW JERSEY, AssIGNOE To THE BAssICK ,Y

COMPANY, OF BRIDCEIORT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION .OF CONNECTICUT CASTER UApplication ledV February v14, 1929. Serial No. 339,802. v

The present invention relates to casters, particularly of thefball-bearing swivel type,

and has for an object to provide a caster having a high degree of efficiency in the use, and

which at the same time will be relatively inexpensive and simple in construction. i

An 'Object is to provide in a caster a ball bearing unit having a single ball race which will be double acting to serve both as a thrust and journal bearing, and which will atthe same time provide a positive and easyswiveling two-directional thrust bearing for the load, imposed through the offset of the caster upwardly at one side and downwardly i5 at the other side of the swiveling axis.v

Another object is to provide a construction in which a ball-bearing unit is adapted to be assembled 'with the i caster horn and the pintle, or otherl attaching means, in such manner that a single type of bearing unit may be utilized with various types and sizes' of horns and attaching means.

It is particularly proposed tol provlde ball-bearing unit which is completely assemt bled independently of the caster attaching means, sotthat its assembly doesnot depend upon any particular size or shape of the attaching means, and lwhereby the latter may be rigidly securedsimply Vby connecting it to a portion'of the bearing unit, as by bending or swaging one with respectto the other, and without regard to thel size or shape of the attaching means.-y A standardized bearing unit may thusbe employedand a com plete assortmentof caster sizes and styles built around it, thereby greatly simplifying and economizing manufacture. 'y

A further object is to provide a bearing unit in which there are no threaded parts, and

further to provide a'complete caster assembly in which the parts are assembled with respect to the bearing unit by bending or swaging, and without the necessityv for threaded parts.

f With the above and other'objects in view,

embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, and these embodiments will be hereinafter moreV fully described with reference thereto, and the invention will befinally pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings Y Y Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional View,l partly i' Fig. 2 is a view showing the bearing unit in section, and before assembly, and the horn and pintle Vin separated relation. y Fig. 3 is a plan viewofthe bearing unit, as shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a rvertical sectional elevation of a slightly modied formof the invention. Y

Figs. 5 to 8 are sectional views, partially broken away, showing four further modified forms'of the invention. Y

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings. l v v t Referring to the drawings, the lcaster comprises a horn 10, in which the wheel 11 is mounted, and. provided in its upper flat porview, partly in tion 12 with an aperture 18, asusually pro'- vided for receiving the pintle. The pintle 14 has its stud end 15 secured inan apertured base plate 16,. having a downwardly offset marginal edge portion 17 According to the present embodiments of the inventionqthe ball-bearing unit, which constitutes a completev assembly'independent of the horn and attaching means,"is`adapted to have yits inner rotatable ball-race member secured at its under side to the horn, and its outer ballrace ,member secured at its upper side to the base plate of the pintle or` otherl attaching Y means. v

The ball-bearingunit comprises anl outer ring 18 having a ball-race 19, of semi-circular cross-section, formedupon its inner surface,-

and at its upper surface adjacent the outer edge is providedwith an upstanding flange 20, having an inner-circumference adaptedto permit the base 16 to fit therein. v

. The inner member of the bearing comprises a center stud 21 havingl a laterally extending l flange 22-at its upper endl andr abeveled surface 23 between the under surface of the flange and the cylindrical surface of the'stud.V A ring 24 having a beveled surface 23a is fitted upon the stud'beneath the flange 2.2,` and the ring andflange are grooved at their outer y peripheral surface to provide a ball-race 25` of semi-circular cross-section. The stud is re-v l the horn by engaging the stud 21 in the aperving provided at its lower end ture 13 o f the horn and headingr it over, as at 28, a washer 29 being interposed between the lower side of the central or rota-ry part of the bearing and the top of the horn, and another washer 30 being interposed between the bottom surface of the horn and the headed over end 28. Before assembly f the base platefof the pintle the top of the bearingunit isgopen,y as shown in Fig. 2, se that the'inner member Vof the bearing unit may be solidly supported during the assembly -o-f the `horn andthe heading over of the end 28.

The pintle i's nent assembled .to they outer ring 18 by engaging the base plate 16 within the flange 20, and bending thev latter over upon the margin of the plate, as shown in Fig. 1, the projecting flat under-surface of the ring providing a suitable support during this operation. This sequence of assembly not'only facilitates the assembly of the horn and attaching means, but relieves the balls of any strain during the bending ors-wagingv operations.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a 'modifiedforniof the invention, in which the outer ring is made up of two half-sections 31 and 32, disposed within a cup member 33, flanged over at. its loweredge, as at 34, and adapted to be flanged over at its upper edge, as-at 35, to secure the base plate 16, and at the same time securethe assembled relation of the rings. In this embodiment I have shown an inner ball race member 36 hav-ing anl external shape corresponding. to the two-part inner ball race shown in Fig.y 1, but formed of one piece, the two-part form of the outer race permitting the assembly of the balls.

` In Fig. 5 I have shown another embodiment ofthe invention, in which a modified form r,of inner ball-race member is provided, the

outer member being similar to that shown in Fig. 1. This inner member is formed of'two similar half-section rings 3.7 and 38, grooved at their outer sidesrto provide a ball-race -a semi-circular cross-section, and beveled at theirinner sides, as at Y4() and 41.

rlhe two rings are assembled by `means of a center stud 42, engaged within the openings of the rings and provided at its upper end with a beveled flange- 43, seated upon the beveled surface 40 of the upper ring, the stud being recessed at its upper surface, as at 44, to receive the headed over lower end of the pintle, and bewith a project ing post 45, for engagement in the aperture 'of the horn, which is secured in the saine manner asthe first form.

and outer slots'.l 48V in. the plate, and are bent over upon vthe upper surface thereof to thereby secure it. The plate is preferably Vdished, as at 49, so that its upper flat surface is above the plane of the bent over lugs. The inner member 0f the bearing is similar to that shown in Fig. 1.

In Fig I haveshown a modification somewhat similar to that shown in Fig. 4, but in this form the cup for securing the outer race formiiig'rings together is formed as an in.- tegral extension of the base plate .51, to which the pintle is secured.

In 8 I have sho-wn a modification in which the1 outer race form-ing member is simi.- lar'to that shown in Fig. 4, while the inner race forming member issimilar to that shown in Fig. 1. It will be understood that any of the several forms of inner race forming inembers, as shown respectively in- Figs,f1, 4 and 5, may be employed with any of the several forms of outer race forming members.,

I have illustrated and described preferred and satisfactory embodiments of the invention, but it will be obvious that changes` may be made therein, within the spi-rit and scope thereof, as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my' invention; what I claim and desire to secure by Lettersl Patent is l. In a caster, a floor engagingelement, an attaching element, and a'ballfbearing assembly unitineluding relatively rotatableI inner ball-race members and antifriction balls between them, means carried by said inner ball-race member adapted to'be secured to said floor engaging element, and meansV carried by said outerfball-race member adapted tov be secured t0 said attaching element.

2. In a caster, a floor engaging element, having an aperture in its upper portion, an attaching element, and a ball-bearing assembly unit including inner and outer relatively rotatable mei Y bers and antifriction balls beltween them, a central downwardly extending stud carried by` said inner rota-table member l adapted to be engaged in sai'c aperture of the floor engaging element and secured thereto, and means carried Vby the outer rotatable member adapted to be secured t0 said attaching'y element. i

3. In a caster, a floor engaging element, an attaching element including a base plate, and

a balLbearing` assembly unit including relal tively rotatable inner and outer ball-race members and antifriction ballsbe-tween them, means carried by said innerball-race member adapted to be secured to said floor engaging element, and a flange carried by said. outer member adapted to be secured to said floor enupon and secured to said base secured to said i'ioor engaging element, and

keo

gaging element, and a flange carried by said outer ball-race member adapted to be bent plate of the attaching element.

5. In a caster, a ioor engaging element, an attaching element, and a ball-bearing assembly unit including relatively rotatable inner and outer ball-racemembers and antifric-v tion balls between the1n,'one of said members consisting of upper and'lower half-sections, each forming a portion of a ball-race, means for securing said half-sections in assembled relation, means carried by one of said rotatable members adapted to be secured to said floor engaging element, and means carried Vby the other rotatable member adapted to be secured to said attaching element.

6. In a caster, a floor engaging element, an attaching element, and a ball-bearing assembly unit including relatively rotatable inner and outer ball-race ring members and antifriction balls between them, said inner member consisting of upper and lower'sections, each forming a portion of a ball-race, means securing said sections in assembled relation, means carried by one ofs'aid rotatable members adapted tobe secured to said i horn, and means carried by the other rotatable member adapted to be secured to said at- Y taching element,

7. In a caster, a floor engaging element, an attaching element, and a ball-'bearing assembly unit including relatively rotatable inn memb tion, means carried by one of said rotatable members adapted to be secured to said floor other rotatable member adapted tobe secured to said attaching element. 9. In a caster, a floor engaging element, an

attaching element, and a ball-bearing assem- Vengaging element, and means carried by the bly unitincluding relatively rotatable inner member being exposed at its upper sidein the unassembled relation of said attaching element, and means carried by said outer ball-race member adapted to be securedy to said attaching element. y y

l0. In al caster, a floor engaging element, an attaching element including a base plate, and a ball-bearing assembly unit Lincluding relatively Vrotatable inner and outer ball-race members and antitriction balls between them, means carried by said inner ball-race member adapted to be secured to said floorengaging element, said inner member being exposed at itsupper side in the unassembled relation of said attaching element, and means carried by said outer ball-race member adapted to be secured to said base plate of the attaching element wherebyv said base plate closes the upper side of said uinner er. a

Signed at Bridgeport, in the county of' Fairfield, and State of Connecticut, this 8th kday of February, 1929.

ner and outer ball-race. ring members and j antifriction balls between them, said'inner member consisting oit-upper and lower ring members, each forming a portion of a ballrace, a central'stud securedy in the openings of said ring members and securing said members in assembled relation, means carried by` one of said rotatable members adapted to be d i 8. In a caster, a floor engagingelement, an

attaching element, and a ball-bearing assembly unit including relatively rotatablev inner and outer ball-race members and antifriction balls between them, said outer member consisting ot upper'and lower half-sec-VV tions, each forming a portion of a ball-race, a cup-member disposed about said half sections and securing them in assembled rela"-V 

